Chief Petty Officer Rettig: First Veterans Day – appreciation for soldiers!

Chief Petty Officer Rettig: First Veterans Day – appreciation for soldiers!

The first National Veterans Day in Germany is just around the corner and everything is ready for the celebrations that will take place across Germany on June 15, 2025. Chief Petty Officer Michel Rettig, known from the video series “Occupation Bravo,” is actively promoting this day and is happy to highlight the importance and appreciation for our soldiers. In Wilhelmshaven, a ceremony will be held in the council chamber at 3 p.m., where Rettig will also be present. He also hopes to be able to take part in the central event at the Berlin Reichstag. NWZonline reports that the term “veteran” in Germany includes both active and former soldiers, which often causes discussions within the troops themselves.

Michel Rettig, who began his military service in the guard battalion in Siegburg in 2005 and rejoined the Bundeswehr in 2014, draws_NOWZonline_ an interesting parallel. He describes his frigate as a small town in which everyone makes an important contribution. He particularly appreciates the diversity of his service and the experience he has gained in the context of international operations, such as the Indo-Pacific Deployment.

Veterans Day celebrations

When you think of veterans, you often think of the many events planned in honor of soldiers across Germany. According to the official Veterans Day website, veteranentag.gov.de, a combination event will take place in Augustdorf, which includes a field service, networking, music and barbecue. At the same time, a “March of Appreciation” will take place in Duisburg, which can be registered on the organizer’s website from February 2025.

• Am 17. Juni findet der Veteranentag in Euskirchen statt, wo Veteraninnen und Veteranen zur Eröffnung einer Fotoausstellung geehrt werden.
• In Lippstadt wird am 22. Juni 2025 eine Aushändigung von Veteranenabzeichen zur Würdigung stattfinden.
• Das Veteranenkonzert in Schieder-Schwalenberg am 14. Juni verspricht musikalische Höhepunkte.

It becomes clear that Veterans Day is not only a celebration of the past, but also a platform to talk about the challenges and the appreciation shown to soldiers. Deutschlandfunk reports on the establishment of Veterans Day, which was decided on April 25, 2024, and the annual implementation on June 15. With this day, the federal government wants to achieve greater visibility for the service of soldiers and strengthen their role in society.

The history that comes with this national honor is particularly interesting. June 15th was chosen because the veteran badge was awarded for the first time on this day in 2019. This symbolism makes it clear that it represents a starting point for the appreciation of our Bundeswehr members and invites society to actively participate and exchange ideas.

However, the implementation of Veterans Day continues to face some challenges. The Left party is critical of Veterans Day and has concerns about the social distance to military service in Germany, which is due to historical reasons. Despite these controversies, there is a clear desire from veterans to see this day become a family-friendly festival, which could certainly find a positive response in society.

Overall, we can only hope that the first national Veterans Day in Germany will be a great success and that appreciation for our soldiers will be firmly anchored in society. Preparations are underway and anticipation is increasing – a good sign for the future!